Nearly 20 winners have been announced at the Better Business Awards for South Australia and the Northern Territory, including the coveted Broker of the Year award.
The Better Business Awards provides an excellent platform for talented brokers and offices across Australia to gain recognition and celebrate the best in the industry in their local markets.
The Adviser hosted the Better Business Awards 2024 gala black-tie ceremony at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Thursday night (22 February), with the support of principal partner NAB.
The state-based Better Business Awards program sets the benchmark for excellence for broking in each state and territory.
A total of 18 leading professionals and businesses in SA/NT were announced as winners, including brokers, brokerages, business development managers (BDM), loan administrators, mentors, and champions of customer service.
Hundreds of members of the SA/NT broking community gathered at the awards ceremony to celebrate the successes of their colleagues and network with their peers and industry leaders.
Australian comedian and satirist Mark Humphries was the emcee and provided laughter and entertainment throughout the evening.
Individual broker awards
The winner of the prestigious Broker of the Year award (which is given to the highest-scoring individual winner) was given to the Best Regional Broker award winner, Port Lincoln Home Loans finance broker Steven Toome.
Financia director and mortgage and finance broker Ben Finis was named Best Residential Broker.
The recipient of the equally coveted Editor’s Choice award was Steven Voroniansky, director and finance broker at Time2Refinance.
Annie Kane, managing editor of mortgages, said Mr Voroniansky received the award in recognition for his hard work supporting borrowers in a changing interest rate environment and ensuring they are able to access discounts and save money.
Ausloans Finance Strathalbyn senior broker and finance specialist Jenaya Huxter was named the Best Finance Broker in South Australia, while the Best Regional Broker award went to Port Lincoln Home Loans finance broker Steven Toome.
The rising stars of the broking industry were also championed for making their mark, with Savage Money founder and CEO Peter Savage receiving the New Broker of the Year award.
Brokerages, offices win big
Alongside individual brokers, the awards shone a spotlight on the successes of brokerages and offices in South Australia.
Mortgage Choice St Peters (steered by Smita Vira and Vipanpreet Singh) clinched the Best Franchise Office award, while the Best Large Non-Franchise Office award went to managing director Marissa Schulze’s Rise High Financial Solutions.
The Best Boutique Non-Franchise Office award was given to Oracle Lending Solutions (helmed by managing director and finance broker Angelo Benedetti).
Equatorial Finance Solutions (headed by director Weng Wong) was named Best Finance Brokerage (Office).
Ausloans Finance Strathalbyn and Ms Huxter had another reason to celebrate, after the finance brokerage collected the Best New Office trophy.
Similar to individual regional brokers, regional offices were also commended for their contribution to South Australia’s broking industry, with Directional Finance (led by mortgage broker Caroline Mundey) taking home the Best Regional Office award.
Loan administrators, BDMs celebrated
The Better Business Awards 2024 recognised that support from loan administrators and BDMs is crucial for brokers to successfully write loans for their clients, and as such, rewarded them for their efforts.
The Best Loan Administrator award was presented to Clique Finance parabroker Jackie Marsh.
Meanwhile, NAB BDM Richie Allen was named Best Lender BDM (Bank), while the Best Lender BDM (Non-Bank) award was conferred upon Prospa BDM Jaime Aplin.
Mentors were applauded for giving back to the broking industry by generously sharing their knowledge and training their proteges. The Mentor of the Year award was given to Mortgage Choice SA/NT state manager Ben Livera.
Rewarding customer service
Brokers and brokerages were commended for providing exceptional customer service and acting in the best interests of their clients throughout 2023.
The Best Customer Service (Individual) award was presented to finance broker Sergio Stefano for providing stellar service to his clients at Aussie Prospect.
Finally, Rise High Financial Solutions took centre stage for the second time in the evening, winning the Best Customer Service (Office) award.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Click here to see the full list of winners.
Onwards for the Better Business Summit and Awards
The Better Business Summit and Awards 2024 roadshow moves to three more capital cities over the next three weeks.
Dates and locations
They will be held in the following locations:
Thursday, 29 February, at Hyatt Regency, Perth
Thursday, 7 March, at Sofitel Brisbane
Thursday, 14 March, at The Crown Melbourne
Click here to buy tickets to the summit and don’t miss out!
Did you know The Adviser Premium members can go to the Better Business Summit for free? Become a Premium member here.
For more information about the summit, including speakers and agenda, click here.